Real Church. Real Life. Real Celebration.

I remember my cousins teaching me “The Snake” dance to Janet Jackson’s song, Control. I remember lip-syncing to Milli Vanilli songs using toilet-paper roll “microphones.” (IRONY!) I remember walking through the pasture to go to Mrs. Corrine’s store with my Uncle Freddy, so that I could get my weekly bundle of Sugar Daddy suckers.

But the thing that I remember most is that people in my family kept HAVING BABIES!!! When we were about 4 years old, Vickie and I started our annual summer trips to Aunt Esther’s house. After we were chased by the blue-eyed bull, fished in the pond, and had sung Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It Through the Grapevine (for the one-hundredth time) with Aunt Esther, it was time to pack our bags and go home.

As soon as we walked into the house, we sensed that the atmosphere was totally different. My little sister, Cat, wasn’t crying. Grandma was…smiling?!? Something was up! Grandma didn’t smile that much. Later, we found out that my Aunt Julie had given birth to a baby girl. She was kind of cute, so Vick and I decided we would keep her.

The next summer, we left for Aunt Esther’s house to start our summer adventures. After all the running, fishing and singing, it was time to go home once again. As soon as we walked into the house, the atmosphere was different. Grandma was…smiling…again?!? After using some of our prime detective skills and enlisting the help of our little sister, we discovered that Mama had given birth to our baby brother.

In a period of 8 years, 10 children were born, back-to-back, in my family. Six of those children were my brothers, sisters and I! Whoa! By the time that third summer vacation ended with us welcoming another baby brother, I was quite sure that our annual leave of absence caused the molecules in the air to be extremely ecstatic. They threw a huge party to celebrate, and the dancing produced a series of endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions with the dirt and the all that good chicken, resulting in an actual live BABY!

WE ARE ALL PREGNANT!!! I heard T.D. Jakes say once that, “God is not so much interested in you, as much as He is interested in His plans inside of you.” God has big plans for our lives and for the lives of those around us. He has “impregnated” His children with His Word: a Word that causes the world around us to be shaken and restored to what He has intended.

God is constantly reminding me that He isn’t through with me yet. Yeah, there are some things that I have given birth to, and I’ve seen some of the fruit in my life, but it’s not the end. I’m pretty sure that my Mama knew she was pregnant…all five times! Her physical body changed. Her eating habits changed. She talked differently. She walked differently. There was no ignoring it! I’ve tried many times to ignore the fact that God has placed something inside of me that was sooo much bigger than me. I didn’t want it to cost me anything. I didn’t want my physical body to change. I didn’t want my eating habits to change. I didn’t want to feel the weight of carrying something that affects more than just myself. I didn’t want to talk or walk differently, but the more that I seek God, I find that it’s inevitable! So, whether it’s a single Golden-child “baby,” 2.5 “babies” per household, or 10 “starting-a-basketball-team” babies …I can’t ignore it anymore! I’ve GOT to value what God has placed in me!

What are you carrying? Are you ignoring your “baby”? Are you willing to make some changes in order for your “baby” to be born? Are you willing to birth that one baby, 2.5 babies, or ten babies in order for the Kingdom to be glorified?

Sorry about not commenting earlier! A friend of mine found the image for me. We typically try to use “free” images. Don’t think this image is any different. I hope you’ve already got it or found another image. Again, sorry about that.